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Joshua Rodgers stands in front of a carved cliff in Mongolia.

It took one spring break trip to Washington, D.C., for local graduate Joshua Rodgers to realize he wanted to work in government. When his parents took him to meet U.S. Rep Jack Kingston on Capitol Hill, where he took a snapshot with the area Congressman, Rodgers told him, "I'm going to work here someday."Now approaching his second year at The Citadel, the graduate of First Presbyterian Christian Academy will serve as an intern in Kingston's D.C. office for a month beginning Monday. Rodgers said he heard about the internship from his mother while at school last year, and after submitting an application he interviewed with Kingston's secretary and a current intern."The intern ran down what a day in the office would be like," Rodgers said, which includes answering phones, greeting office guests and ferrying documents around the Capitol. "I want to get an overall experience of what [Kingston] does day to day.""I want to be a congressman when I come of age. That's what motivated me to do this," he said. "I want to represent the people in Georgia and the people I grew up around."Rodgers said Kingston's example as a family man and a person of values is one he wants to follow.During his monthlong stay he'll be with the family of a Citadel alumnus - a break Rodgers scored when he and his father, wearing a Citadel T-shirt, ran into another graduate in D.C.; housing is hard to come by in the area, Rodgers explained, and the connection was invaluable.Rodgers has prepared for the internship in some ways, already. He's taken a course in U.S. government and in international politics. He said he also hopes to meet with some Citadel alumnae serving in Congress while in D.C.A political office internship isn't a niche goal, Rodgers said. "I think it's suitable for anyone who's interested in government."Rodgers' summer adventures don't begin and end with his internship. The adventurous student recently traveled to China and Mongolia on a study abroad scholarship from The Citadel, learning about the Chinese language and culture and Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan. He plans to study Chinese this fall, as well."I am very blessed to have received the scholarship to study abroad in China," he said.And internship is through, Rodgers will pack up his passport again, this time traveling to Scotland to participate in the 2010 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, as a member of The Citadel Regimental Band and Pipes. The Tattoo is a month-long nightly festival of music, pageantry and demonstrations by military organizations from around the world.